четверг, 1 марта 2012 г.

SA: No pokies MP criticises growth plan

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SA: No pokies MP criticises growth plan

ADELAIDE, April 12 AAP - A blueprint for prosperity in South Australia has come underfire for ignoring the impact of poker machines.

Independent No Pokies MP Nick Xenophon has criticised the draft plan by SA's EconomicDevelopment Board, which was discussed at an Economic Growth Summit in Adelaide today.

Mr Xenophon said the board should focus on the more than $600 million a year lost onpokies and associated social and economic fallout.

"Pokies are a net job killer, not a job creator, and any future reports of the EconomicDevelopment Board and any further economic summits need to grapple with the visible andhidden costs of such losses on the state," he said.

The draft plan will be finalised and presented to the government in May.

Delegates at summit were today invited to return in a year's time for a briefing onwhat the state government had done to put it into action.

SA Premier Mike Rann issued the invitation at the end of the one-and-a-half day summit,which attracted 280 business, community and government leaders.

Mr Rann said the end of the summit signalled the beginning of a lot of hard work forall South Australians.

This would include a bid to steer the state towards a lion's share of $12 billion ofdefence contracts currently up for grabs, and to increase wine exports to $5 billion andfood exports to $15 billion in the next 10 years.

The Economic Growth Summit was jointly chaired by former prime minister Bob Hawke andformer National Party leader Ian Sinclair.

AAP kmc/ge

KEYWORD: SUMMIT

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